Search results

Also a good question. Add tannin after any enzyme you've used has done its work because tannin can interfere with enzyme activity.

Actually, that is a very good question. There are some grapes (reds) that have more tannin than others. When you ferment on the grape, when making a red wine, you don't have to concern yourself too much with adding tannin unless you desire more astringency. But, just as Julie mentioned, if...

Temp is not such a big deal that it would cause such a flaw. We don't even bother controlling the temp when we make peach wine and we have very good success with this wine. Your problem probably stems from not enough attention to yeast nutrient additions. Especially when using Montrachet...

Yeah, those flavorings are not always helpful. The best way to get very good flavor on fruit wines like plum is to ferment them with no added water. Freeze the fruit first to get it to release its juice and you won't need to add water for testing. There are only a couple of fruit wines that...

You cannot sanitize wood. Don't worry about it. Just toss the oak in. After the oak has been in the wine for a couple months, draw some wine off and taste it. If you want more oak flavor then leave it in for another month or two. Remove the oak when the flavor is to your liking.

Read your bible and you'll see what God said about works. God said it was nothing more than a filthy rag. Works will not buy you salvation. Only Jesus' death did that for us. Now, if you do good works just for the benefit of others---or JUST because you love God, now you are doing works in their...

I totally agree. Even when you try to clear using just good ole' pectic enzyme, wine will be stubborn to clear when it's cool. Get it around 70 degrees, or so, and it begins to clear quite well. This is something most of us learn thru experience.

Unfortunately, often times the easy ways of restarting don't always work. In that case, you'd be smart to listen to NorCal.

We've used the spirals too and they do a good job also. It's been a while since I researched the different oak types but once I read about the staves, those are the ones we use now on our reds. Either Rocky or Running Wolf turned me onto the PLUS oak. Makes a big difference when you're oaking...

Since lent was a pagan ritual, I avoid such things. As born again Christians we only give due to Christ and understand we can do nothing to gain our own salvation. But if you feel the need to give something up, I would not criticize it. Just remember---works do not garner you anything.

French toast plus is a good option for Cab because it's such a bold wine. We like using staves because they are toasted the same way a barrel is toasted.

You cannot overdose pectic enzyme. Add 1 tsp per gallon.

I only have ONE suggestion-----Midnight Confessions.

I would add some pectic enzyme to it along with some tannin. It would be better to add one of the newer pectic enzymes like Lallzyme C-Max because it is more efficient at clearing. But if you don't have it, you can use regular pectic enzyme. Because this is a very pulpy fruit, use 1 tsp of...

Oh, got ya now. There's no doubt that a wine like Syrah should be bulk aged, and I still view it from the perspective that longer term aging may get rid of all of the bitterness. Did you add tannin to the ferment? Bulk aging should always be tried first because otherwise you're...

Ok. So to go back to your initial question, there is no reason for you not to use the Lallzyme and abandon your old pectic enzyme.

Unless you added a ton of tannin to the ferment, it is very unlikely that the bitterness is caused by tannin. Blackberry is not high in tannin. Could the bitterness be from seeds? Something you always need to be concerned about when fermenting fruit with small seeds. If too many get over in...

stickman---Remember that pectic enzyme is the ONE thing in winemaking that you can use more of without worry. So dosing is not of any critical concern. After nearly 30 years of winemaking, and making mostly fruit wines along with very pulpy grapes like Concord and Niagara, it seems that the...

Stressbaby----If the wine has a bitter aftertaste, then BE SURE to bulk age it for at least 1 year, and maybe more like 1 1/2 years. You'd be surprised how bulk aging can remove offensive components from a wine.

Lallzyme is an improved pectic enzyme. You ALWAYS need pectic enzyme for fruit wines, as there's alot of pulp to break down. We've been using Lallzyme C-Max ever since it first came out and we are very happy with it as it seems to aid in better clarification. In fact, improved clarity of...